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Tuesday, January 19, 2016

At the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, there is a scaled replica of a quilting bee. Every detail is perfect. If you haven't made a journey to the Museum, put it on your list for this summer. One day is not enough to see everything, two is tight. So give yourself three days to really enjoy every building and display. There are many other interesting places to visit in the area as well.

Still blustery and bitterly cold here. I've been tackling the to-do list and made quite a dent today. But I think the items on the list are fraternizing when I am not looking--each morning there are even more to-dos!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S. I am listening to Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by C.J. Box. I've listened to several of his books recently and each is excellent. Edge of the seat! And I also listened to Front Runner by Felix Francis.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Although blustery and brrrrrrrrry cold, this winter has been kinder. I know we need the colder temps to get rid of all the germs, etc., but I sure did enjoy those 60*+ days!

It's my first winter with an all wheel drive vehicle, and so far I am happy. It still seems funny not to engage 4-wheel drive when conditions warrant!

I've been sewing and spending time with my main squeeze. Rode Derek, the very tall Thoroughbred today. I've never been one to do a lot of layering of clothes, but the last two winters have proven how valuable a skill that is!

That's it for tonight.

Blissful, if brrrrrrry cold, hugs,
Sharon

P.S. I am listening to Guilty by David Baldacci. I am reading mostly horse-related texts; when it is something else I will clue you in ;-)

Have you ever tried to insert elastic or ribbon or cord into casings? Have you ever tried to thread the drawstring back into a hood? Remember the frustration and not-so-polite words when things went awry?

That's why you need this handy tool.

See that little white lever? And the dark green/light green parts to the left with teeth?

You insert the elastic (or ribbon, or whatever) into the "teeth" and close the white lever.

Insert the elastic into one end of the casing and secure it with a pin (or whatever you'd like). Scoogie the bodkin through the casing until it comes out the other end.

This is what the entire bodkin looks like as it comes out of the casing. See the elastic still firmly in the teeth? Now you pinch the elastic and the casing, remove the bodkin, match the end of the casing with the end of the elastic and pin! (You might be inserting elastic in a waistband or something else that is a complete circle; in that case you would need to sew the two ends of the elastic together before closing the opening. The point of this Gotta Have is to tell you about the tool, not to educate you on using elastic per se.)

I've given my bodkin a real workout and it is the BEST thing to use for threading anything through a casing. Again, no endorsement fees are being paid to me.

Saturday, January 2, 2016

In December 2015, Sharon, Susan, Gale, Cheri, and Pat A. joined me for the Hill & Crag skill builder class at Patchwork Plus in Marcellus. This block required precision cutting, piecing and pressing to fit all those pieces back together correctly. What a job these ladies did!

Susan (second from left above) also finished hand piecing and hand quilting her hexagon project.

Check out the fussy-cutting of these great Halloween fabrics! Thanks for sharing, Susan!

Friday, January 1, 2016

Pompera is helping me keep an eye out for health, prosperity, happiness, and dreams-come-true for my family, friends far and near, and for you, dear blog reader. Your comments are greatly appreciated in both good times and bad.Always remember how truly special you are, and, whenever possible, choose happiness.

Do any of you have a special word for 2016? I am torn between "balance" and "timeliness". What the heck; I may just go for the gusto and use both!

Happy 2016!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S. For those who are wondering: Yes, there will be quilting stuff on the blog soon.

About Me

Welcome to my blog! I am a quilter, teacher and author with more than 500 quilts completed since 1988. I LOVE hand quilting, and I have developed a unique method that is user friendly and does not require poking your underneath finger or using a hoop! My ramblings will probably amuse some and annoy others, but I hope they will have you returning for more! Be sure to leave a comment!